MeiLi & Devyn’s Training

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We will be doing more training with our pups in 2024. The goals are to pick one new skill to work on either learning or improving each week. Showing videos of our progress, setbacks and final results each week. At the end of each month, we will attempt to do a “routine” based on the things we have done so far. We hope this will help us stay on track with our fundamentals and progress in our training this year.

Here are MeiLi and Kristen’s runs from league this weekend. It was an off day for MeiLi as she was very distracted.

Devyn had her turn working the serps and threadles in the backyard today as well. She worked very well and tries to please me every run. Her threadle was much better than I expected. She knocked a couple of bars but that does not really concern me at all with her. I am much more concerned with her focus on my directions and her willingness to try and desire to please. I look forward to doing a lot more work with her in the coming months. The set up we used in posted in MeiLi’s page for today. Here is the video of Devyn’s work.

Today we got back to doing a little backyard training as I prepared to launch the new Facebook CPE Agility and SpeedWay skills page. This page will be a win-win for us as it will force me to train my girl on a more regular basis here at home. She loves to work and cuddled all evening after her few minutes of work. The focus of our training today was working on a Serpentine staying on the approach side of the sequence using two different ways of handling that and then doing the sequence as a threadle. Of course, working the sequence going into it from both the right and the left. I was very pleased with MeiLi’s work although we were certainly weaker approaching the sequence from the teeter and turning to her left. I do have clear rules for how I handle serps but the space in the yard does not give me to many options. I will try to set the serp more in the middle of the yard and cover my personal rules for how I choose to handle this kind of sequence in the coming week. Aiugust-7-2023-Set-up.agl_Download Here is a video of her training. My timing and consistency with verbal commands is still off and a work in progress.

Today was all about showing up. I have a bum knee and really did not “feel” like going to class. But both pups look forward to their training time with Dad and I knew that there were skills that I really needed to work on that could be done without much movement. Besides you never know when you might get to a big event and have something limit your ability to run. The warm-up run today had us working a loop starting toward the front of the ring, layering the dogwalk and then heading back to where we started. Betsi stayed in the ring while we ran which put her in full view of Devyn from the start. Devyn did a great job working past this huge challenge. It was not perfect but a vast improvement. I was very pleased with this performance and wish I could have run faster. The second run was a numbered course and was something I thought I could handle with my limited movement abilities. Devyn’s skills here are not as good as Meili’s but her focused and effort were very good. The Backyard training needs to get better as fair as my commitment to it on a regular basis. This is where we will build our teamwork. The teeter issue is a little strange and will get some work at home. Back to our morning videos and more serious skills work. Focus on what we need for the trials we plan to do.

Today was all about showing up. I have a bum knee and really did not “feel” like going to class. But both pups look forward to their training time with Dad and I knew that there were skills that I really needed to work on that could be done without much movement. Besides you never know when you might get to a big event and have something limit your ability to run. The first time we started on the first turn I failed to use my “out” command to help her still on the line to the second jump without me. I was happy that when I did my part she did well. The send after the tunnel straight ahead would have required some sort of toy toss or target with how far behind her I was today. A skill we certainly need to work on as shown by many failed attempts at the send in the Mid-Course Challenge Slingshot runs in SpeedWay. We also still need to nail down that start line skill set. The second run was a numbered course and was something I thought I could handle with my limited movement abilities. The start line was an issue on this run again but part of that was start outside the ring as she and another dog had a short barking thing before we went in. That is actually a good thing for both dogs as both handlers are working on that issue 🙂 SO I let her get away with getting up before released. I was very happy with the wrap to the tunnel under the Frame. Also, with her going past the Frame then to go to the next jump. The jump sequence was a bit rough but okay. I was frustrated that the turn out of the tunnel in a different environment is not nearly as good as it is at home. Guess we need to work on that. She was very unfocused with the weaves all morning. One more class in the set so hopefully I will be back to 100 percent next week. The Backyard training needs to get better as fair as my commitment to it on a regular basis. It really shows when we do it versus when we do not. Back to our morning videos and more serious skills work. Focus on what we need for the trials we plan to do.

Miss Devyn continues to grow in confidence and as a partner in our classes. She is really enjoying getting to hang out in her crate and watch the other dogs working while we wait for our class. I was able to sit and get some work done on my iPad while she relaxed quietly. Every once in a while, I would get her out for a quick trick session or hanging out with me. Once her class starts, she was all business. Today’s course presented a huge challenge with the teeter near the ring gating where everyone is sitting. The start turned her straight that way. A couple of weeks ago in the same situation she would back at the people. Today she balked at the teeter and did not want to go near that ring gate. I count that as a win and was willing to give up on the teeter to keep her focus on me and keep her feeling secure in the ring. She does lack some of the handling skills I am used to using like the wrap at the Frame but that will come. We only did the two runs as I wanted to end on a good note. The second run I jackpotted the Dog Walk to build her confidence back up and I think it helped a lot. Her start line is much better than her sisters and she is a lot of fun to run.

Today MeiLi was a bit unfocused at class. She did do an amazing job on her wraps from the Aframe to the tunnel on both runs that we did that course. Her start line and focus on the start of the runs continues to be an issue. Perhaps part of the issue is on my part of not giving every command needed and assuming she is going to do what I expect. we will need to do a lot more training on the start line itself before it will be successful under stress, of a trial. I am very pleased with her overall speed and was really pushing the distance handling on some of this today. I was not at all disappointed with her lack of layering the dog walk to the last jump as that is way above our current skill set. Even with her popping out of the end of the weaves I was pleased with her entry and for letting me rear cross the entry. Here is the first run today. While it felt like a hot mess there were some very nice parts. Both runs on this course she struggled with the teeter and the dogwalk. I am thinking it was just a weird day. The teeter was perhaps the location being close to the front of the ring where everyone hangs out with their dogs. We will see if it continues. Our weakest skill continued to be the start of the course. I think this is one of the only times she has knocked a 16″ bar. I was glad I went back and re-started the run. The weave entry was again very nice even if she popped out late. Again, the layering of the dogwalk was way out of our league for now. This last run was very frustrating as we seemed totally disconnected. I ended up doing the walk of shame with MeiLi which is something I seldom do. But we simply weren’t working together as a team at all. So, I decided to simple end the run as it did not seem I was going to get her back focused on me. Perhaps it was the heat or just an off day. On to the next training session.

Today Devyn had another great day at class. She is getting very comfortable in the building waiting for her class and has much more confidence running in the ring. I am able to maneuver around the building and into the ring as needed without her reacting to anything. She still has a little to say when headed toward the crowd in the middle of the run but as you will see she did get over that on her later runs. She is super-fast and has a different skill set and commitment point to obstacles than MeiLi. But I like seeing her go fast and wiggle her butt waiting for her turns. We need to do some additional work at home just to fine tune our timing.

Today we got to play with the senior league course from the past week. MeiLi had another strong class. She even handler the rear cross weaves very well. Just a bobble at the end. If this was a real run, I would have handled the ending very differently. I messed up on recording her one other run. Today several of the students had issues so we got less turns in this class.

This is their second run together on this course. MeiLi is a much faster dog than Kristen is used to running but man she is getting good at it. I know that when I am away, they will be able to enter and succeed at trials without me. I look forward to seeing many more videos.

While I was away on Long Island judging CPE for the Dog Club of Long Island the girls were home playing league. These two are really starting to work as a team as long as I am not nearby. MeiLi really likes the game and is becoming more and more focus with each run.

We decided Devyn needed to be exposed to some more distractions by doing a group class. The private lessons Kristen has been doing are great, but she still needs to learn that self-control and confidence around others. This was the second week of this class. I did not video the first week as I really wanted to remain focused on Devyn. It is a very nice set up as there is a class between MeiLi’s class and Devyn’s class, so we have an hour to relax and get used to being in the building during the in between class. That class has several very existing dogs to tempt Devyn into reacting while she sits in her crate, and I do some online work. Both weeks she has laid very calmly and quietly in her crate during that class not reacting at all. I was very proud of her for that. She is actually much better behaved in the crate than her sister who barks the second I walk away. Devyn runs the first week were fairly good. I made some choices to simplify some things for her. But she stayed with me even with dogs uncrated outside the ring. This week we pretty much did the same exercises as the rest of the class. She does get distracted working toward the dogs and people near the front of the ring but responds and comes back to me. I am very pleased with her progress and look forward to seeing how she develops with a little confidence. I have been spending more time with her away from the classes taking her on some solo adventures and she has gotten some judges dog time. Here are her three runs from class today.

Today MeiLi had another solid class with Betsi Hartman. She continues to grow as a teammate and overcome her other mental focus issues. This week we got three runs. One was working on a Serpentine, followed by a threadle back to the beginning and then a sprint around the world and back to the front of the ring. The real course was a play of off the Senior league course from last week. It did not have all the equipment in it but was fun nonetheless. The opening seemed very simple but lots of the dogs struggled with it. MeiLi had serious issues going out the only wingless jump on the course on her first time on the course but overcame that on the second run and put in a nice solid run. Here are her three runs. I look forward to seeing her continue to grow. She is becoming a solid teammate.